7.21.2008

Voices in My Head

Yesterday, our pastor spoke about how when the Devil can't cast doubts on Christians' faith in God and Christ, he acts quickly to shift the spotlight to the Christians themselves. He becomes the little voice in our heads that tells us we are not good enough, not strong enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, and most damaging, not worthy of God's love and grace.

I'm starting to see the light, but I still hear that voice a lot.

The Devil is counting on my weakness, both emotional and spiritual, to be the conduit for his evil little voice, the one that will instill the worm of doubt into my faith.

God knows my weakness, both emotional and spiritual, and uses my childlike desire to be loved and cared for, by opening His arms and saying "I will crush that worm of doubt. Bring your cares to me. I will give you rest."

The Devil takes my negative self-talk and compounds it, agreeing with that negativity.

God takes my negative self-talk and says, "No child of mine will use that kind of language, especially about one of my most precious creations."

The Devil knows my fears of inadequacy and says, "Yes, you are right. You will never be a good mom, wife, sister or daughter. Give up now. Get off the roller coaster."

God knows my fears of inadequacy and says, "There will always be people whose skills are stronger or weaker than yours. Celebrate your differences, don't compare. Know that life is a roller coaster ride, with its ups and downs, and sometimes, it's hard to keep your lunch down. But know this, too. I will keep you safe. Turn to me when you're happy or sad, up or down, and I'll be there for you."

Lord of all that is holy, bless the voice in my head. Make it echo Your words. Words of strength and compassion, not just for others, but for ourselves. Help us to remember that by allowing you, inviting you, to take control of our lives, we have more freedom than we could ever imagine.